Poly enters academic exchange with Potsdam

The Polytechnic of Namibia and the University of Potsdam near Berlin in Germany this week signed a memorandum of understanding to establish an academic exchange mechanism and to mutually strengthen post-graduate programmes and research activities. The MOU states that the two tertiary education institutions will intensify their collaboration by focusing on Geo-sciences, Health, Nutrition and Energy.
Prof Tjama Tjivikua, Rector of the Polytechnic of Namibia welcomed Prof Oliver Gunther, President of the University of Potsdam at the signing ceremony. Prof Tjivikua said that they hosted Prof Gunther while he was on a business mission in Namibia and that this ceremony is the outcome of the fruitful engagement they had.

He also said now that the Polytechnic is in transition to become the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), the MOU will show their profile as a global university and thereby be instantly recognised as an equal partner in terms of quality, relevance, value and competitiveness. Prof Gunther said that international relations are a very important component in the institutions of higher learning and therefore they have introduced an English programme at the University of Potsdam so that language does not become a barrier. He related with excitement how he came to Namibia as a young professor in 1990 during the Independence Celebrations with his brother for a holiday and how impressed he was with the country. Now 24 years later he is back to make this contribution. Potsdam University is a university formed by the amalgamation of several academic institutions in Berlin’s Brandenburg area. It is the largest university and has received numerous accolades such as the “Excellence in Teaching” award of the Stifterverband fuer die Deutsche Wissenschaft.